Communal Grazing Areas Research Articles

Woody species’ carbon sequestration and soil seed bank conservation potentials of traditional rangeland management strategies in Western Guji, Southern Ethiopia

Rangelands are important for mitigating climate change and rehabilitating land by storing carbon from woody plants and seeds in the soil. However, there is a lack of empirical data on how traditional rangeland management practices (such as enclosure, communal grazing and prescribed fire) affect the carbon storage of woody species and the conservation potential of soil seed banks. This study evaluates the carbon sequestration and soil seed bank conservation potential of traditional rangeland management practices in the Western Guji zone, Ethiopia. A total of 32 sample plots were established using systematic random sampling, with 12 in each management practice, to measure woody biomass and estimate carbon stock using a nondestructive method. Additionally, 72 soil samples were collected for soil seed bank analysis, with 24 samples taken from each type of rangeland management practice. The study found that enclosures had the highest amount of carbon stocks 63.1 tons per hectare (t ha−1), with a corresponding carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) sequestration of 231.58 t ha-1, followed by communal grazing areas that stored 27.05 t ha−1 of carbon with a CO2e sequestration of 99.27 t ha−1. Prescribed fire had the lowest carbon stocks at 19.39 t ha−1, with a CO2e sequestration of 71.16 t ha−1. The study also found that different traditional rangeland management practices significantly influenced the diversity, richness, and density of woody species in soil seed banks. The highest Shannon diversity was recorded in enclosures (3.56 ± 0.09), followed by communal grazing (2.87 ± 0.14) and prescribed fire (1.27 ± 0.08). As a result, enclosure promotes the storage of carbon in woody plants and increases the diversity, density, and richness of woody species seeds in the soil, while prescribed fire reduces it. Therefore, it recommend for pastoralists to expand the use of enclosures as it improves the potential for conserving carbon stocks and soil seed banks of woody species.

CHARACTERIZATION OF INDIGENOUS SHEEP HUSBANDRY PRACTICES IN WESTERN ZONE OF TIGRAY REGION, ETHIOPIA

The survey was conducted before the ignition of the war in Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia (before October 2020). The objective of the survey was to characterize the husbandry practices of three indigenous sheep populations. A total of 253 households were randomly involved in the face-to-face interview. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences software was used for data analysis. Illiterates (34 %) and respondents, who attended lower primary school (44 %), were the major categories of the respondents. A mean (± SD) flock size of 7.91 ± 11.4 Tropical Livestock Unit (TLU) of indigenous sheep of the three genotypes were kept under extensive husbandry practices, however, the indigenous sheep population (55 %) trend was at a decreasing state in the last ten years. There was lower mean flock size in Arado (11.72 ± 8.0) than in Begait (85.07 ± 90.1) and Rutanna (223.08 ± 170.5) sheep. The decreasing state of communal grazing area (97 %) resulted in seasonal feed scarcity (96 %) in the last five years. Hence, feed supplementation was in 74 % of the respondents done in the dry season. Animals of most respondents (71 %) go to water source to drink water. It was noted that most animals drank water once a day (63 %) in the dry season. It was also noted that sheep fattening (4 %) was a neglected activity. There were sheep production challenges (100 %) and opportunities (72 %). Diseases (86 %) and external parasites (80 %) were major constraints in sheep production. However, lack of veterinary service (78 % no service) centre was a critical challenge. Practices of own ram-ewe mating (68 %), own flock born rams (51 %), uncontrolled mating (66 %), pure breeding (86 %) and use of rams outside of their flocks (79 %) were practiced in the indigenous sheep populations. Unknown ram-to-ewe ratio (26.9 %) and a ratio of one-ram-to-all-ewes in a flock (29.6 %) were practiced. Ram castration (35 %) was practiced to improve carcass quality (32 %). Feed development, shift to modern husbandry practices, access to veterinary services, indigenous sheep conservation through utilization, control of inbreeding, ram-to-ewe ratio, fattening and castration should be of future attention of farmers and stakeholders.

Competitive displacement and acaricide resistance of two Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) species collected on commercial farms in South Africa

Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, an invasive species to Africa, and the endemic R. (B.) decoloratus are of high economic importance in the cattle industry. Invasion of the alien species in South Africa has mostly been reported for traditional communal grazing areas where it seemed to be rapid and, in some cases, even replaced the native species. The alien species is also assumed to already be resistant to acaricides upon invasion. The presence of R. (B.) microplus on commercial farms was therefore investigated and resistance screening of both species to field concentrations of cypermethrin, amitraz, and chlorfenvinphos was determined by means of the larval immersion test. Results showed that only 3.7% (of 383) tick collections submitted were R. (B.) microplus populations. A further 1.6% (of 383) showed co-existence of the two species. Comparing the level of resistance to the acaricides between the two species indicated a mean phenotypic resistance of 66.2 and 26.5% of R. (B.) decoloratus populations to cypermethrin and amitraz, respectively. This was significantly lower for R. (B.) microplus, with 23.0 and 4.1% of its populations resistant to cypermethrin and amitraz, respectively. Closed commercial farming areas seemed to have a preventative advantage for the invasion of R. (B.) microplus and displacement of R. (B.) decoloratus by R. (B.) microplus. Regular monitoring of these two species may be of high importance to prevent unnecessary financial losses due to insufficient control and increased awareness of the threat of Asiatic babesiosis vectored by R. (B.) microplus.

Dry Matter Yield and Nutritional Composition of Natural Pasture in East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region

Next to crop production, rearing livestock in Ethiopia is essential for the community’s food and nutrition security. However, a major obstacle to global livestock production, particularly in Ethiopia, is a shortage of high-quality and sufficient livestock feed. Designing development plans and intervention options for both improving natural pasture and rearing livestock would require an evaluation of the natural pasture yield and nutritional composition. As a result, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutrient content and dry matter yield of natural pasture in the study areas. The study area was divided into highland, midland, and lowland agroecologies, and from each agroecology, protected and communal grazing areas were selected randomly. The results showed that the average dry matter yield, crude protein (CP), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of natural pasture varied across agroecologies and between grazing sites. The average dry matter yields of natural pasture in highland, midland, and lowland agroecologies were about 1.60, 3.02, and 1.96 t/ha, respectively. The average dry matter yield in protected and communal grazing areas of natural pasture was about 2.70 and 1.69 t/ha, respectively. The crude protein content of the natural pasture was 7.12, 7.63, and 6.90% in the highlands, midlands, and lowlands, respectively. The crude protein content of the natural pasture in protected and communal grazing areas was 6.69 and 7.73%, respectively. In general, the dry matter yield and crude protein contents of natural pasture were low, which would have an effect on livestock productivity, and the overall NDF content of natural pasture was 65.9%, which is classified as low-quality feed and thus would have an impact on feed intake, digestibility, and livestock productivity.

Vegetation Composition, Forage Biomass and Soil Seed Bank of a Continuously Grazed Rangeland Site in Tropical Sub-Humid Environment, Tanzania

Most rangelands along the agro-pastoral villages of Tanzania are yearlong grazed and at various states of degradation. These rangelands contribute to over 60% of the meat and milk production in the country. An inventory was conducted to assess the status of grazing resources in a typical agro-pastoral village of Tanzania having communal rangelands. Systematic random sampling techniques were employed whereby line transects and quadrat frame were used following standard procedures to collect samples and undertake field measurements for both vegetation and soil parameters. The vegetation cover for desirable pasture species, undesirable pasture species and litter were 67.7%, 10.5% and 9.4%, respectively. The soil bare patches covered 12.3 % of the surveyed rangeland site. The most dominant grass species were Enteropogon macrostachyus, Bothriochloa insculpta and Heteropogon contortus. Forage dry matter (DM) yield was 806.8 kg DM/ha. Tree density was 1500 trees/ha and the total canopy cover was 63.49%. Combretum collinum was the most dominant tree species. Soil bulk density, pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were 1.4 g/cm3, 6.3%, 1.14%, 0.09%, 0.89 mg/kg and 0.33 g/kg, respectively. A total of 11 dicotyledonous species mainly forbs and 9 monocotyledonous species including two perennial grasses were revealed from the incubated soil samples. The findings of this study demonstrate that the communal grazing areas have low pasture productivity, poor soil seed-bank and high cover of woody plants mainly bushes. In order, to improve forage biomass at the study site and elsewhere with similar environments selective bush clearing and re-seeding should be considered.

Traditional rangeland management can conserve insect pollinators in a semi-arid rangeland, northern Tanzania

Globally, pollinators are threatened by land-use changes, including habitat degradation. East African rangelands are under pressure due to livestock population increase and overutilization, which lead to degradation of vegetation and soils. While traditional grazing management is widely used to restore vegetation, little is known how this affects insect pollinators. We investigated whether differently managed rangeland areas harbor different insect pollinator abundance, richness and diversity in Simanjiro, Tanzania. We established twelve blocks in four grazing areas under different management categories (private and communal enclosures, wet and dry season grazing lands) and used pan traps and sweep nets to collect insect pollinators. We collected a total of 1977 insects, representing 44 families and 239 species. Beetles were most frequently trapped, with 646 (33%) individuals, followed by 522 bees (26%). Pollinator abundance was twice as high in the private enclosure compared to the communal dry grazing area (χ2 = 27.63, P < 0.001). We found a strong positive correlation between floral and pollinator abundances (r = 0.68, P = 0.015) but not for pollinator species richness and diversity. Bee species abundance and diversity were also significantly higher (χ2 = 68.00, P < 0.0001) in enclosures compared to open rangelands and were significantly influenced by season (χ2 = 220.73, P < 0.0001). Apis mellifera (honey bee) and Lasioglossum of the subgenus Ipomalictus were the most abundant bee species with 107 (21%) and 105 (20%) individuals, respectively. We noticed a significant interaction between season and management on influencing bee pollinator numbers (χ2 = 19.84, P = 0.0002). We conclude that traditional rangeland management can strongly influence pollinator abundance and communities. Our study will aid in developing rangeland management strategies to promote conservation of and enhance pollinator availability in tropical rangelands.

Knowledge and perception of community about causes of cattle abortion and case-control study of brucellosis as cause of abortion in Jimma zone, Ethiopia.

BackgroundAbortion, causes by several infectious and non‐infectious factors is one of the most critical health problems of cattle in Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to assess knowledge and perception of the community about potential causes of abortion and case‐control study of brucellosis as a cause of abortion in cattle of study districts.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted between October 2016 and October 2017 in selected districts of the Jimma zone using a questionnaire survey. Based on the questionnaire survey, we also carried out a case‐control study (141 cases and 282 controls) to confirm whether the most frequently mentioned disease (brucellosis) is associated with abortion. The blood samples were collected from both cases and controls cattle groups and then serum was separated. The presence of antibody against Brucella organism in serum was first tested by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and all RBPT positive samples were confirmed using the Complement Fixation Test (CFT).ResultsFrom a total of 180 randomly selected respondents, the majority (59.4%) of them attributed abortion to infectious diseases. Based on the questionnaire survey, brucellosis, leptospirosis and listeriosis were identified as the major infectious causes of abortion in the areas. Physical injuries, shortage of feed and toxic substances were observed as less important non‐infection causes of abortion in the study areas. This study also identified improper disposal of aborted materials and birth products, use of communal bulls, sharing communal grazing areas and water sources which favour disease transmission. Exposure to Brucella organism was higher among cases (6.4%) than controls (2.8%) with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.042).ConclusionBrucellosis is the most important infectious cause of cattle abortion in this study. Thus, important to conduct appropriate control methods and increasing public awareness of the zoonotic transmission of brucellosis are suggested. This finding also recommended the need for further study to isolate and characterise brucellosis as a cause of abortion in cattle.

Tradition of raw milk consumption and its health impact among people living in the coastal regions of Bangladesh

Milk is a nutrient-rich liquid food for human and animals. However, owing to its complex biochemical structure and high water activity, it serves as an outstanding microorganism growth medium under suitable conditions. People in Bangladesh's coastal areas have a lifestyle and tradition that includes drinking raw milk for nutrition or as an energy drink, which presents a health risk to them. The present cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the reasons for drinking raw milk in coastal areas, as well as the public health impact of doing so. A total of 100 respondents were interviewed and subsequently, milk samples were collected for quality testing through methylene blue reduction test (MBRT). Among 100 respondent 70 were consumers and 30 were farmers. Results showed that the samples of farmers were better than that of consumers. The majority of raw milk consumers were male who thought raw milk was more nutritious than heat-treated milk. Furthermore, the majority of them were professionally engaged in farming. Both consumers and farmers had less educational qualifications, managed their cattle in dirty environments, practiced extensive grazing system on communal grazing areas and around one fourth of them vaccinated their animals. Furthermore, the findings revealed that 40% of respondents were between the ages of 35 and 45, with 62% reporting no health complications as a result of drinking raw milk and the remainder reporting mainly gastrointestinal problems. According to the findings of this report, the quality of raw cow milk was poor; unhygienic practices and poor animal husbandry at farm level predisposed farmers, consumers and the public to risk of contracting milk-borne infections and associated bacterial resistances. It is recommended that veterinarians, extension officers and all stakeholders should play their roles in ensuring safe quality milk supply to consumers.&#x0D; Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2021, 6 (1), 10-18

Communal grazing area is as a potential source of calves in dry Sumbawa Island, Indonesia: the improvement of opportunities and challenges

Sumbawa island is one of cattle centre in Indonesia characterized by grazing system. Most farmers practice integrated crop-livestock system with cattle and rice and or maize being the most common commodities. This paper provided understanding on communal grazing system in Sumbawa, its potency as a source of calves and its opportunity and challenges for improvement. A study was conducted from 2018 to 2019 for three largest communal grazing areas in Sumbawa Island, Lar Badi, Gili Rakit and Doro Ncanga, respectively. Most cattle live on grazing land during the harvest season and return to the village after harvest to graze the remaining crops. Herds were dominated by cows, calves, and young bulls. Despite being a potential source of calves and hign in carrying capacity, these areas have common problems such as lack of feed and high calf mortality. At the same time, crop residue available abundantly nearby, yet underutilized due to the labour, transporting cost, and lack of the knowledge. It is concluded that communal grazing areas plays a significant role as calves and feeder producing centre in the dry island of Sumbawa. However, the farmer’s awareness and capacity need to be improved for better management to solve the problems and good pasture management in the communal grazing.

Impact of Grazing Intensity on Soil Properties in Teltele Rangeland, Ethiopia

Grazing intensity (GI) is a major determining factor that controls the functioning of rangelands and the overall nutrient cycle. The Teltele rangeland is used for communal grazing area by the local pastorals; however, to date, there is no documented study data about the impact of GI. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of grazing intensity on selected soil properties in the Teltele rangeland, Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from different GI sites using different elevation gradient and soil depth from both open grazing and bush-encroached grazing land sand-assessed soil properties. Grazing intensity, elevation, and soil depth significantly (p &amp;lt; 0.05) affected both soils’ physical and chemical properties but rangeland types had no significant effect. The correlation analysis of soil characteristics with the principal component analysis axes showed significant variation. The highly weighted and correlated properties under principal component 1 (PC1) were electrical conductivity, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and potassium, and under principal component 2, sand and bulk density with equal loaded value (r = −0.998), clay and silt, with silt (0.962) a more loaded one. Soil pH (0.743) demonstrated a significant (p &amp;lt; 0.05) positive correlation with sodium (−0.960) at PC1 (r = 0.610). Based on our results, we recommend further model-based studies on spatial–temporal change of soil properties due to impact of grazing intensity, combined with GIS and remote sensing data to be developed for sustainable rangeland management.

The value of rested sourveld in a communal grazing area in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

The potential for forage accumulated during periodic long rests to provide valuable winter grazing for livestock in heavily stocked communal rangelands in sourveld was assessed. In a continuously-grazed commonage at Ntshiqo in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, we measured seasonal patterns of biomass accumulation and forage quality under a short season rest (October–January), a full summer rest (October–June), and an extended year rest (June 2014–October 2015). Forage quality was expected to decline with increasing biomass accumulation. The full season rest produced twice as much (almost 1 ton ha−1) biomass than the short season rest. Up to 1.5 tons ha−1 more forage accumulated in the exclosures in the extended year rest, compared with the surrounding grazed grassland, but about 15% of the standing dry matter was lost through frost and senescence from the rested areas during winter. Forage quality (crude protein, phosphorus) declined from summer to winter and was similar in all rested and grazed areas, except for 4% higher acid detergent fibre (ADF) for the full- versus the short-summer rest. For commonage in sourveld, periodic full season rests (spring to autumn), followed by winter grazing with a protein lick and a spring burn, are recommended.

Herbaceous plant species diversity in communal agro-pastoral and conservation areas in western Serengeti, Tanzania

Agro-pastoralism involves the growing of crops and keeping of livestock as a livelihood strategy practiced by communities in rural areas in Africa and is highly dependent on environmental factors including rainfall, soil and vegetation. Agro-pastoral activities, e.g. livestock grazing and land clearing for crop cultivation, impact on environmental condition. This study evaluated the impacts of agro-pastoral activities on herbaceous plant species diversity and abundance in western Serengeti relative to conservation (protected) areas. A vegetation survey was conducted along the grazing gradients of ten 4 km transects from within village lands to protected areas. A total of 123 herbaceous species belonging to 20 families were identified. Higher herbaceous species diversity and richness were found in protected areas than in communal grazing lands. Similarly, the number of perennial herbaceous species was higher in the former than the latter, while occurrence of annuals was higher in the village areas. This observation indicates poor rangeland condition in village communal grazing lands as compared with protected areas. It is obvious that current agro-pastoral activities have contributed to a reduction in herbaceous species diversity in village lands in western Serengeti. However, the array of pasture species, especially desirable perennial species, still present in communal grazing areas, suggests that rejuvenation of these areas is possible. Resting of grazing land is recommended to reverse the trend towards diversity reduction and ensure future availability of feed resources for grazing animals in village lands.

Wildlife-cattle interactions emerge as drivers of bovine tuberculosis in traditionally farmed cattle

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle is recognized to be associated with several risk factors that include herd size, cattle movement, ownership of other domestic animals, confinement of cattle in enclosures at night, water sources, communal grazing area and proximity to wildlife, especially bTB maintenance hosts. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the risk factors associated with Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) infection and transmission in traditionally farmed cattle at the wildlife/livestock interface in uMkhanyakude district, northern Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN), South Africa. The questionnaire comprised of semi-structured questions that were used to gather data on livestock management practices and knowledge about bTB from 71 respondents from households that owned either bTB infected cattle herds or uninfected herds. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was used to explore the association between the risk factors for M. bovis transmission and the bTB herd status. Bovine TB positive herds were associated with a herd size of n > 15, movement of cattle to areas adjacent to the game parks for grazing, cattle grazing inside the game parks as well as cattle sharing water and pasture with wildlife. The multivariable logistic regression model identified movement of animals to areas adjacent to the game parks and cattle sharing water with wildlife as highly significant risk factors for bTB infection in cattle. The findings of this study emphasized the need for the implementation of bTB control strategies in both cattle and wildlife populations for the successful control of the disease.

Assessment of Rangelands Around Molepolole Village of Botswana to Ascertain Its Potential to Support Free Range Beef Cattle Despite Its Long Term Use as a Grazing Area

In Botswana, cattle rearing can either be in farms or in communal grazing areas. In communal grazing areas, carrying capacities are never adhered to, hence degradation sometimes occurs. This negatively impact on the livestock industry since cattle are mainly free ranging. This therefore calls for periodic checks of grass species to determine whether grazing areas still have potentials to sustain livestock production. A study was done to take stock of grass species and bush encroachment status around the biggest village of Botswana, known as Molepolole. The survey looked at species composition, distribution and production. The survey was done by using line transects, quadrats and plots in the northern and western direction of the village. In each quadrat, grass species were identified, counted by species, height measured and biomass determined by clipping. In plots, woody plants were counted for all species. The survey revealed that despite heavy grazing and periodic droughts the grazing area still has some grass species of good grazing value and the area is being threatened to being encroached by woody species. Thus there is still a potential for use of the area for grazing but at lower stocking rate. However, it was noted that the area needs some restoration by controlling bush encroachment and reintroduction of good grass species.

The Sero-epidemiology of Neospora caninum in Cattle in Northern Tanzania.

Neospora caninum is a protozoan intracellular parasite of animals with a global distribution. Dogs act as definitive hosts, with infection in cattle leading to reproductive losses. Neosporosis can be a major source of income loss for livestock keepers, but its impacts in sub-Saharan Africa are mostly unknown. This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence and identify risk factors for N. caninum infection in cattle in northern Tanzania, and to link herd-level exposure to reproductive losses. Serum samples from 3,015 cattle were collected from 380 households in 20 villages between February and December 2016. Questionnaire data were collected from 360 of these households. Household coordinates were used to extract satellite derived environmental data from open-access sources. Sera were tested for the presence of N. caninum antibodies using an indirect ELISA. Risk factors for individual-level seropositivity were identified with logistic regression using Bayesian model averaging (BMA). The relationship between herd-level seroprevalence and abortion rates was assessed using negative binomial regression. The seroprevalence of N. caninum exposure after adjustment for diagnostic test performance was 21.5% [95% Credibility Interval (CrI) 17.9–25.4]. The most important predictors of seropositivity selected by BMA were age greater than 18 months [Odds ratio (OR) = 2.17, 95% CrI 1.45–3.26], the local cattle population density (OR = 0.69, 95% CrI 0.41–1.00), household use of restricted grazing (OR = 0.72, 95% CrI 0.25–1.16), and an increasing percentage cover of shrub or forest land in the environment surrounding a household (OR = 1.37, 1.00–2.14). There was a positive relationship between herd-level N. caninum seroprevalence and the reported within-herd abortion rate (Incidence Rate Ratio = 1.03, 95% CrI 1.00–1.06). Our findings suggest N. caninum is likely to be an important cause of abortion in cattle in Tanzania. Management practices, such as restricted grazing, are likely to reduce the risk of infection and suggest contamination of communal grazing areas may be important for transmission. Evidence for a relationship between livestock seropositivity and shrub and forest habitats raises questions about a potential role for wildlife in the epidemiology of N. caninum in Tanzania.

Availability of Fodder Trees and Shrubs Integrated Into Agricultural Systems in Eastern Hararghe, Ethiopia

Tree/shrub based feed resources and feeding systems in Eastern Hararghe are not studied well. Therefore, a study aimed at assessing the availability of fodder trees and shrubs integrated into farming system, available feed resources, and feeding systems was made in two districts of eastern Hararghe zone, Ethiopia. A total of 268 respondents from the two districts, both from lowland and highland agro ecology, were interviewed. S&amp;oslash;rensen&amp;rsquo;s Similarity Index was used to assess species composition in relation to agroecology. The result revealed that about 67.2% of the respondents have not integrated any fodder trees and shrubs into their farmlands whereas only 32.8% of the respondents integrated fodder trees and shrubs into their farmlands. A total of 20 fodder and non-fodder tree species were identified. Regarding tree species composition, only 46% of tree species were found in both districts, whereas about 54% of the tree species were dissimilar between the districts. The feeding system significantly varied with agroecology. Zero grazing system with stall-feeding technique is common in the highland agroecology. However, in the lowland agroecology free grazing on communal grazing area and feeding crop residue are common. Factors like inadequate extension service, lack of planting material and land scarcity has resulted in reduction of farmers&amp;rsquo; interest to integrate fodder trees and shrubs into their farming system.

Evaluation of Grazing Land Condition in Gozamen District, East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

The study was conducted in Gozamen district of East Gojam Zone of the Amhara region to assess the major feed resources, the grazing land condition, and the floristic composition and biomass yields of herbaceous species to generate baseline information which can be used for future management of grazing land resources in the area. The survey data was collected by interviewing a total of 120 households by random selection of two rural-kebeles from three altitudes [high, mid and low].To assess grazing land condition, the district was stratified into three altitudes [high, mid and low altitudes]. From each altitude, communal and enclosed grazing areas were selected randomly. From each altitude 8 composites and 12 composites from enclosed and 12 composites from communal grazing for herbaceous vegetation and 4 transects from each altitude of communal grazing were selected. Thus, a total of 72 quadrats were used for herbaceous and 12 transects for woody species. For the natural pasture condition assessment, analyses of variance [ANOVA] were carried out by the General Linear Model [GLM] procedure of SAS. Mean separation was tested using the least significant difference. The main feed resources to the livestock in all altitudes were natural pasture, crop residues and stubble grazing. During dry season, crop residues was the first livestock feed source followed by natural pasture in all altitudes. However, during wet season, natural pasture was the first livestock feed source followed by crop resides in all altitudes. In terms of dry matter [DM] crop residues contributed the highest proportion [66.7%] of the total feed sources. The DM obtained from crop residues significantly varied [P&lt; 0.05] among the altitudes. The total annual estimated available feed supply to maintain the livestock in the area satisfied only 79.4%. The conservation of feed resources in the form of hay in high, mid and low altitudes was 38.5, 80, and 22.5%, respectively. But, none of the respondents used silage in the study area due to lack of knowledge how to make it. In the district, a total of 21 herbaceous species were identified [Table 4], from these 57, 24 and 19% were grasses, legumes and other species, respectively. Based on dry matter of biomass, Medicago polymorpha in high and mid altitudes and Eleusine floccifolia in low altitude were the dominant species. Altitude and grazing have effects on grazing land conditions and biomass production. The average dry matter yield of grasses, legumes and total biomass had a significant difference among altitudes in enclosed and communal grazing areas. The average dry matter yield of grasses, legumes, and total biomass were higher in enclosed area than communal grazing areas in all altitudes. There were a significant [P&lt; 0.01] interaction of altitude and grazing on biomass and species composition. There were positive correlation of species composition, grass species composition and basal cover with biomass. Crop residues and natural pastures are the major feed resources in dry and wet seasons, respectively. The total annual dry matter does not meet the total livestock requirement per annum in district. Further research and development work is recommended to alleviate feed shortage through different options such as development of improved forages and alternative means of crop residue utilization and conservation of feed in the form hay and crop residues. Keywords: Altitudinal range; Botanical composition; Crop residues; Dry matter; Feed balance; Grazing land types; Natural pasture;

Chemical tick control practices in southwestern and northwestern Uganda

Tick acaricide failure is one of the leading challenges to cattle production in Uganda. To gain an understanding into the possible drivers of acaricide failure, this study characterized the current chemical tick control practices in the southwestern (Mbarara, Mitooma and Rukungiri districts) and northwestern (Adjumani district) regions of Uganda. A total of 85 farms participated in a survey that utilized a semi-structured questionnaire. Moreover, ticks were collected to determine the most common species on the farms. Tick acaricide failure was mainly encountered in the districts where 95% (60/63) of the farms reared exotic cattle (dairy cross-breeds) under a paddocking (fenced) system. In the northwestern region, local cattle were reared in communal grazing areas. All farms used chemical acaricides for tick control, predominantly amidine (amitraz) (48%, 41/85) and co-formulated organophosphates and pyrethroids (38%, 32/85). The spraying method was the most common (91%, 77/85) acaricide application technique, with cattle crush (81%, 69/85) as a common means of physical restraint. Less than optimal tick control practices encountered included use of substandard equipment for spraying, inappropriate dilutions, frequent interaction between animals in neighboring farms despite lack of synchronized chemical tick control and malpractices in acaricide rotation. Only Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and R. (Boophilus) decoloratus ticks were found in the southwestern region, where 51% (32/63) of the farmers used high acaricide concentrations above the manufacturers’ recommendation. Farmers in the northwestern region used 2.2 times less acaricide volume per cattle than those in the southwestern region, and more diverse tick species were encountered. Toxic effects of acaricide to cattle and workers were reported by 13% (11/85) and 32% (27/85) of the respondents, respectively. All 27 cases of human acaricide toxicity reported were from the southwestern region. Overall, our findings may inform strategies for more prudent chemical tick control and safe acaricide handling to benefit animal welfare, food safety and public health.

Occurrence of tick-borne haemoparasites in cattle in the Mungwi District, Northern Province, Zambia

Little is known about the occurrence of haemoparasites in cattle in communal grazing areas of Mungwi District of Northern Province, Zambia. Clinical signs and post mortem lesions are pathognomonic of mixed tick-borne infections especially babesiosis, anaplasmosis and East Coast fever. The main objective of this study was to screen selected communal herds of cattle for tick-borne haemoparasites, and identify the tick vectors associated with the high cattle mortalities due to suspected tick-borne diseases in the local breeds of cattle grazing along the banks of the Chambeshi River in Mungwi District, Northern Province, Zambia. A total of 299 cattle blood samples were collected from July to September 2010 from Kapamba (n = 50), Chifulo (n = 102), Chisanga (n = 38), Kowa (n = 95) and Mungwi central (n = 14) in the Mungwi District. A total of 5288 ticks were also collected from the sampled cattle from April to July 2011. DNA was extracted from the cattle blood and the hypervariable region of the parasite small subunit rRNA gene was amplified and subjected to the reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization assay. The results of the RLB assay revealed the presence of tick-borne haemoparasites in 259 (86.6%) cattle blood samples occurring either as single (11.0%) or mixed (75.6%) infections. The most prevalent species present were the benign Theileria mutans (54.5%) and T. velifera (51.5%). Anaplasma marginale (25.7%), Babesia bovis (7.7%) and B. bigemina (3.3%) DNA were also detected in the samples. Only one sample (from Kapamba) tested positive for the presence of T. parva. This was an unexpected finding; also because the tick vector, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, was identified on animals from Kowa (14.0%), Chisanga (8.5%), Chifulo (6.0%) and Kapamba (1.4%). One sample (from Kapamba) tested positive for the presence of Ehrlichia ruminantium even though Amblyomma variegatum ticks were identified from 52.9% of the sampled animals from all study areas. There was significant positive association between T. mutans and T. velifera (p < 0.001) infections, and between A. marginale and B. bovis (p = 0.005). The presence of R. microplus tick vectors on cattle was significantly associated with B. bovis (odds ratio, OR = 28.4, p < 0.001) and A. marginale (OR = 42.0, p < 0.001) infections, while A. variegatum presence was significantly associated with T. mutans (OR = 213.0, p < 0.001) and T. velifera (OR = 459.0, p < 0.001) infections. Rhipicephalus decoloratus was significantly associated with B. bigemina (OR = 21.6, p = 0.004) and A. marginale (OR = 28.5, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed a significant association between location and tick-borne pathogen status for A. marginale (p < 0.001), T. mutans (p = 0.004), T. velifera (p = 0.003) and T. taurotragi (p = 0.005). The results of our study suggest that the cause of cattle mortalities in Mungwi during the winter outbreaks is mainly due to A. marginale, B. bovis and B. bigemina infections. This was confirmed by the clinical manifestation of the disease in the affected cattle and the tick species identified on the animals. The relatively low prevalence of T. parva, B. bigemina, B. bovis and E. ruminantium could indicate the existence of endemic instability with a pool of susceptible cattle and the occurrence of disease outbreaks.

Fencing bodes a rapid collapse of the unique Greater Mara ecosystem

With land privatization and fencing of thousands of hectares of communal grazing areas, East Africa is struggling with one of the most radical cultural and environmental changes in its history. The 668,500-hectare Greater Mara is of crucial importance for the great migrations of large mammals and for Maasai pastoralist culture. However, the magnitude and pace of these fencing processes in this area are almost completely unknown. We provide new evidence that fencing is appropriating land in this area at an unprecedented and accelerating speed and scale. By means of a mapped series of multispectral satellite imagery (1985–2016), we found that in the conservancies with the most fences, areal cover of fenced areas has increased with >20% since 2010. This has resulted in a situation where fencing is rapidly increasing across the Greater Mara, threatening to lead to the collapse of the entire ecosystem in the near future. Our results suggest that fencing is currently instantiating itself as a new permanent self-reinforcing process and is about to reach a critical point after which it is likely to amplify at an even quicker pace, incompatible with the region’s role in the great wildebeest migration, wildlife generally, as well as traditional Maasai pastoralism.